Students reflect on Lent
This week, staff and students at Cornerstone College in Mount Barker joined Christian congregations and schools worldwide to celebrate Lent.
To celebrate Ash Wednesday, students and staff had the option of receiving an ash cross during a chapel service. Ash Wednesday is the start of the Christian season of Lent, when we anticipate Jesus’ death and resurrection at Easter while reflecting on our need for God. Lent is a time of humility as we consider the struggles of being human, the selfish nature we all wrestle with, and our own contributions to the brokenness of our world.
It sounds heavy, but the beauty of Lent is that we not only reflect with humility but also with gratitude. There is joy in knowing God has already embraced us, and there is freedom to be vulnerable with God about who we are. While the ashes of our Ash Wednesday service resemble the sorrow and fragility of our human existence, they are received in the shape of a cross because of the gospel (good news!). Jesus’ cross, his death and resurrection, is God’s response to our mess. The sign of the cross now reminds us of the forgiveness God freely gives to all of us, the restored relationship God establishes with us, and the new life God brings to us and the world.
During Lent, many people will also give something up, such as a favourite food. Traditionally, this is also a sign of humility, putting aside the more indulgent things in life. When those cravings kick in, this practice prompts us to remember our need alongside God’s gracious provision. There was a time (maybe you still do) when households would plan to use up all their rich foods like eggs, butter and sugar in preparation for Lent, which led to the celebration of Shrove Tuesday.
At Cornerstone, we honoured Shrove Tuesday with pancakes at lunch. While I’m sure many of us will continue to enjoy tasty foods this Lent, Tuesday’s pancakes were an opportunity for us to acknowledge and respond to human needs throughout the world as we raised money for Australian Lutheran World Service.
On our journey toward Easter this Lent, may we feel safe being honest with God about our struggles and be renewed by God’s grace. May we be filled with God’s Spirit of selflessness so we might also look beyond ourselves and respond in love to the needs of others.
Andy Traeger is the senior chaplain at Cornerstone College, Mount Barker.
